Change in Independent Accountant
On July 1, 2000 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP resigned as
independent accountants of the Fund.
The reports of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP on the financial
statements of the Fund for the past two fiscal years
contained no adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion and
were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit
scope or accounting principle.
In connection with its audits for the two most recent fiscal
years and through July 1, 2000, there have been no
disagreements with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP on any matter
of accounting principles or practices, financial statement
disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which
disagreements if not resolved to the satisfaction of
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP would have caused them to make
reference thereto in their report on the financial
statements for such years.
The Fund has requested that PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
furnish it with a letter addressed to the SEC stating
whether or not it agrees with the above statements. A copy
of such letter, dated July 3, 2000 is filed as an Exhibit to
this Form N -SAR.
The Fund, with the approval of its Board of
Directors/Trustees and its Audit Committee, engaged Deloitte
& Touche LLP as its new independent accountants as of July
1, 2000.
